


I Hate My Roommate.

by skzpresso



Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Angst doesn't last long, Backstory, Drinking, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Fluff and Angst, Getting Together, Getting to Know Each Other, M/M, Making Out, Seo Changbin is a sweetheart, Some Humor, Stressed Kim Seungmin, Uno but wrong, fighting and arguing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-22
Updated: 2020-09-22
Packaged: 2021-03-06 19:40:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 15,120
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26314321
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/skzpresso/pseuds/skzpresso
Summary: When Seungmin moves into his college dorm, he hopes to have Minho as his roommate or someone equally compatible. Not his childhood enemy, Hwang Hyunjin.The two are stuck together and eventually, their anger comes to a head, resulting in a big fight.When Hyunjin apologizes for an incident during their childhood, their relationship begins to change. Maybe they weren't as bad as the other thought.
Relationships: Bang Chan/Lee Minho | Lee Know, Han Jisung | Han/Seo Changbin, Hwang Hyunjin/Kim Seungmin, Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Comments: 18
Kudos: 223
Collections: EQUINOX, FAVORITE STORIES





	I Hate My Roommate.

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt #066  
> Hyunjin and Seungmin disliked each other since they were kids. Entering college for the first time, they are sure they aren’t going to have to deal with seeing each other. What if fate decides to have its way and they end up going to the same college, and even worse, ending up roommates? What if at the end of it all, they fall in love?
> 
> Hopefully, I did this prompt justice! It wound up way longer than I wanted it too, but I really like it. I hope you enjoy it.

“What dorm room are you in?” Seungmin had been moving in all morning, but Minho woke up much later. Minho called Seungmin and told him to stop by the cafeteria. By the time he got there, Minho was almost inhaling his food. Seungmin did know that was because he missed breakfast and was ravenous.

“East 48C, what about you?”

“East 50C, at least we’re in the same hall.” Seungmin plopped down into the seat across from Minho, stealing a few pieces of fruit from the older. They had wanted to be each other’s roommate but were prepared for the worst.

“Let’s hope we don’t have asshole roommates!” Minho said with a pained smile. He sighed soon after, not even convincing himself.

“I’ll drop out if I have to deal with someone like that.” Seungmin pushed his hair out of his eyes and put on a hat. The sun was filtering in through the windows brutally and his hat was the best way to shield his eyes. “How’s Jeongin been doing?”

“He’s been driving me crazy! He keeps sending me these weird-ass memes that I don’t understand. Hell, Felix, his  _ fucking boyfriend _ , doesn’t get it.”

Minho’s eyes were wide in confusion at his brother’s antics. Seungmin could see the sheer disbelief in his face. He wondered how they're related sometimes but Jeongin has Minho’s sense of humor.

“Isn’t that what he’s always done?” Seungmin asked. Minho muttered something into his sandwich before taking the last bite. He obviously wanted to forget his brother’s strange way of communication.

“Whatever. Let’s head to the dorms, I want to see my room before dragging all my stuff up.” Minho gathered up his things and waited for Seungmin to lead the way.

The campus was pretty. Early spring meant there were flowers everywhere. It was roses and hydrangeas for the most part, but the color was nice to see. It wasn’t a large campus and none of Seungmin’s classes were more than a ten-minute walk away. Minho’s luck was notoriously bad in comparison. Minho and Seungmin both cringed once they saw how far apart Minho’s classes were.

“Do you know anyone else that got accepted here?” Minho asked, stumbling into a light post while digging around in his front jeans pocket. He always had a small stash of suckers in one of his pockets. Pretending he did not just run into the post, he offered one to Seungmin before having one for himself.

“Honestly? I have no clue.”

The hallway that leads to their rooms was chaotic. People were moving in and moving out. Boxes and bags seemed to be hurdles while they were trying to make it to the end of the hall.

“Alright, go see if you have a roommate yet. Then call me later,” Minho said, slapping Seungmin’s back a bit harder than Seungmin would’ve liked.

Seungmin hoped for a nice roommate. He’d never had to share his space with someone before, let alone a stranger. He wasn’t much for even having friends stay over at his place. It felt like they were invading his privacy even though he knew that wasn’t the case. Over the years it became a habit to find solace in his room away from everyone else after a stressful day.

The light was filtering out from under his dorm door. He clearly remembered turning it off before leaving. He took a deep breath and made his way into the dorm room.

All his pep-talking went out of the window.

“There’s no fucking way you’re my roommate.”

+++

Seungmin remembers Hyunjin moving into the empty house next door when he was ten. His mother recommended the neighborhood to Hyunjin’s mother. Hyunjin was a quiet, shy, and sweet kid. Seungmin didn’t quite know how to approach him.

Their parents agreed on doing monthly dinners, meeting up near the holidays as well.

These shallow dinners lasted two entire years. Seungmin was forced to wear his best clothes, which included the worst item known to man:  _ khakis _ . He hated them, still does. Hyunjin and Seungmin were always sitting next to each other during these dinners. It was awkward for them since they didn’t speak to each other unless it was necessary. At first, their parents were so excited at the thought of their sons becoming friends. As those two years trudged by, they lost hope in that happening.

Even outside of the dinners it was the same. Seungmin would see Hyunjin kicking around a soccer ball for hours, but he never made a move to speak with him. Hyunjin seemed too bright for Seungmin. Hyunjin had gone from being such a quiet and shy kid to the complete opposite. Seungmin liked to read and enjoy the company of others in silence, but Hyunjin was wild. Hyunjin wanted to play sports and make dozens of friends. It seemed like Hyunjin was in a rush with life. He always needed to be doing something.

Hyunjin talked constantly. Seungmin worried he'd get slapped one day from Hyunjin exaggerating his stories with wild gestures. And this day was one of the worst accounts of it happening.

This day’s class had been exciting from what Seungmin could tell. Hyunjin didn't have the clearest speech. Most of his words would slur together and it was hard for Seungmin to understand him. It’s not like Seungmin was trying to be rude. He really couldn’t understand him.

Hyunjin had drawn back an arm to launch into another story. However, his elbow collided with Seungmin’s plate that was being put down on the table.

This knocked an entire plate of hot food onto Seungmin’s only pair of khakis. Seungmin sucked in a breath between his teeth as he felt the burning sensation kick in.

“Why’d you do that?” Seungmin tried to be level-headed. He wanted to get out of these clothes as soon as possible. His legs were burning but he didn’t want to cause a bigger scene. The calmer he was, the faster he could get out of this situation.

“Why are you so mad?” Hyunjin yelled back. Seungmin had no clue where Hyunjin grabbed ‘mad’ from, but that sent Seungmin over the edge. He said nothing to provoke Hyunjin in hopes of keeping dinner civil.

“It’s not my fault! You’re the one who hit the plate!”

“What are you gonna do about it?” Hyunjin nagged.

Everyone else remembered that the first punch was thrown by Hyunjin. Despite it being Seungmin that instigated the fight. Over the years, Seungmin was able to push the blame onto Hyunjin for starting the fight. Hyunjin himself started to believe it was so.

+++

There stood Hwang Hyunjin in his dorm room. He was unpacking his things in the empty bedroom. When Seungmin spoke he nearly jumped out of his skin. The surprise changed to disdain.

“I was ignoring the table decorations because they  _ screamed  _ Seungmin and I wanted to be wrong. Yet here you are,” Hyunjin said with a cold tone. His jaw was set while he continued unpacking, rather relaxed.

“Ok, but why? Why am I stuck with you as a roommate? Why, of all people, does it have to be you?” Seungmin shouted. His emotions were getting the better of him.

Hyunjin’s shoulders stiffened as he walked over to Seungmin. He got close enough to his face that their noses were close to touching. Hyunjin’s eyes were strong and dark. Seungmin wanted to back away, but he couldn't get himself to move.

“If you don’t like it, go complain about it to someone who can do something.”

Seungmin didn’t realize his voice had gotten deeper, and he didn’t like it. His speech had grown clearer. It was so clear it felt as if it were cutting through Seungmin's thoughts. He turned around and grabbed his pair of keys from the counter.

He slammed the door behind him after rushing out. Seungmin regretted it after seeing the disturbed looks from students lingering in the hall. He almost ran to Minho’s room to talk to him, causing one scene was enough to encourage him not to run. After rapping on the door repeatedly, someone who was not Minho answered the door.

“Jisung?” Seungmin was unsure if this was who he thought he was, but he blurted out the name anyway. If he was right, this was Hyunjin’s best friend.

“Seungmin?”

“Glad you two know your names. What’s up, Min?” Minho asked from over Jisung’s shoulder. “Who’s your roomie?”

“Hwang Hyunjin,” Seungmin bit out. Jisung and Minho both stifled a laugh.

“The universe really hates you two, doesn’t it. You’ve been at each other’s throat for ten years now, maybe it’s time for a change.” Jisung said before applying what appeared to be, lipgloss? “If you two will excuse me, I have a boyfriend to find.”

“If you don’t mind me being nosy, what’s his name?” Seungmin rambled. He figured if it was someone Jisung knew, he may know them too.

“Seo Changbin.” Jisung moved away with ease, light on his feet. The two remained in place, watching Jisung's figure grow smaller while he made his way down the hall.

“Wasn’t he in some of our classes?” Minho pondered aloud, “The name seems familiar.”

“He was in almost all our classes, Minho. He worked on group projects with us all the time.” Seungmin couldn’t believe Minho’s lack of memory.

“Then when the hell did he and Jisung get together? I'm so lost.” Minho looked as if his world was shattered. He never kept up with the small details unless it pertained to himself, Seungmin, and Jeongin.

“I hate this already.” Seungmin slumped against the door frame.

“Sorry, Min. I don’t know what to tell you about this one.”

\- - -

Eventually, Minho ushered him away so he could take a nap. Seungmin decided to try and find the dorm advisor for his floor. He couldn't figure out where the room would be. The hallway kept stretching on as he wandered until another student took pity on him and directed him to the room.

The door was sitting wide open, so he cautiously entered the room. He almost jumped out of his skin when someone moved out from around a stack of boxes.

“Hey, I’m Chan! I’m guessing you must be one of the freshmen in this hall? I don’t recognize you.” The guy was friendly. Seungmin could see why he would make a fine DA. If he were unapproachable it wouldn’t work at all. Instead, Seungmin was comfortable in his presence.

“Uh, yeah. I’m Seungmin. I’m in room 50C with Hwang Hyunjin.” His name left a sour taste in his mouth.

“It’s great to see you, but you look like you almost got sick saying his name,” Chan's voice was warm, Seungmin noted.

“Did I?” Seungmin complained. Chan sighed, dimples on full display once he let himself laugh.

“Yeah, yeah you did.”

“That guy and I have never gotten along. Is there any way we can change roommates?” Seungmin pleaded. He was too desperate to try and fake indifference.

“I hate to be the one to tell you this, but for freshmen, it’s nearly impossible. Unless you two become a disturbance to others and a safety threat, this is out of my hands.” Chan looked regretful but it was his responsibility.

Seungmin figured that was the case. Chan doesn’t have that type of authority. It did not make Seungmin any happier about it, though.

“I get it, thanks for telling me. I have a feeling you’ll be seeing my roommate soon anyway. I’ve got to get back and figure out my schedule.”

“Hope to see you around!” Chan smiled. It was bright and dazzling, reflecting what he thinks Chan's personality would be like. Seungmin couldn’t be mad at him, but he still wanted to be.

\- - -

A faulty routine had fallen into place for a few days.

Hyunjin had more than likely received the same comment from Chan as Seungmin did, and it left the two stuck. They didn’t talk to each other unless necessary. One of those times when they did speak, it was the figure out who would do what to help keep the dorm clean. They were lucky enough to be attending a college where the dorm rooms weren’t a single room. Each dorm room has a kitchenette and bathroom. It was nice, but that meant there was more to clean.

“Wasn’t I stuck doing the dishes the other day as well? Since you were too lazy to clean.” Seungmin was seething. The two ate separate meals so there were more dishes dirty than clean at any given time. And to make matters worse, Hyunjin had skipped out on doing the dishes for a while now.

“I was going to get to it. You just always get there first. You’re as impatient as ever,” Hyunjin said sweetly with a sick smirk. Seungmin could feel his blood boiling. Something about Hyunjin’s sheer existence amps up his blood pressure. Seungmin dropped the plate into the sink, not worrying if it broke or not.

“We need a fucking schedule. This room will soon resemble a dumpster if we don’t work on it.”

“Let’s hear the ideas if it will shut you up in the long run.” Hyunjin slouched down in the dining room seat to kick his legs up onto the tabletop.

“First, get your feet off the table, that's where we eat. Second, we alternate dishes, and I’ll do a majority of the cleaning as long as you take the trash out. You clean your room. That’s it.” Seungmin could not come up with a better outcome. He doesn’t mind cleaning all that much if it’s not too dirty. Hyunjin seemed to be neat, so it wouldn’t kill him to clean.

“Deal. I suck at doing the dishes quickly, though,” Hyunjin muttered before resuming his homework.

\- - -

Even though a routine was set in place, it didn’t help their arguing at all.

**CASE ONE,**

“Why the fuck do you take so long in the shower?” Hyunjin groaned once Seungmin had come back into the main living space. When Seungmin glanced at the clock, he noticed it had only been fifteen minutes.

“You’re impatient. You take longer showers than I do. That’s why I shower first, I like having hot water too, you know?” Seungmin didn’t get a verbal response but he heard Hyunjin sigh and stomp away.

**CASE TWO,**

“It’s three in the morning and I can hear your music. Turn it down,” Seungmin called out. He was at the dining table so he could study, but Hyunjin’s music was unnervingly loud from his closed-off room.

“You should’ve studied earlier, It’s not my problem.” Hyunjin’s voice came through the door muffled but the sarcasm was still clear.

“Next time you’re pulling an all-nighter to study, I’ll make sure it’s hell for you.” Seungmin rummaged around his bookbag for the one pair of headphones he has. He hoped they can block out some sound.

“Yeah, right.”

**AND CASE THREE.**

“Jisung knows it wasn’t me, right?” Hyunjin shouted. The man in question looked around the room, he wasn’t getting involved with this one.

Minho and Jisung had come over to the dorm that night, wanting to see their friends. But alas, not all is well.

“Ok, then who put my textbook through hell? It’s unusable.” Seungmin pointed at the sad, destroyed biology textbook on the coffee table. It smelled worse than a locker room and looked like someone took it to a cheese grater. Seungmin had never seen a textbook look this bad.

“I didn’t do it! I know how expensive those things are. Why would I waste money?”

“It’s not yours to waste though, is it? So tell me if you did it or not.” Seungmin’s patience had worn thin long ago. It was bound to snap at some point. Hyunjin stayed silent for several seconds. Minho and Jisung kept switching their attention between the two.

“I let a classmate borrow it,” Hyunjin admitted as he looked down at the floor. “He brought it back to me like that.”

Seungmin’s mind was blank when he picked up the closest thing to him, the textbook, and threw it at Hyunjin with as much strength as he could muster. It connected with his chest with a resounding thud.

Hyunjin stumbled back while coughing. Minho and Jisung’s eyes widened at the sudden burst of anger from Seungmin.

“Why do you always destroy my things? It’s always been me that gets the short end of the stick when dealing with you in comparison. You haven’t had things ruined at the expense of me because it’s fucking rude.” Seungmin rushed towards Hyunjin and clutches his shirt in his fists, pulling him close.

“But you’re the one who ruined my fucking athletic scholarship because of lies!”

“What else did I do to you? How many of your personal belongings have I destroyed, huh?” Seungmin instigated. Hyunjin grabbed Seungmin’s hair and yanked  _ hard. _

"Materials can be replaced, but you ruined my credibility. No one fucking trusted me after what you said." Hyunjin said, voice low in his throat.

“Just tell me why you hate me so damn much! Tell me your reason for being a dick for as long as I can remember!  _ Tell me! _ ” Seungmin was screaming by the end of it, and Hyunjin was taken aback. Seungmin could feel his heart racing from the adrenaline and could even feel his pulse through his fingertips.

Hyunjin kept fumbling for words to say but wound up looking like a fish out of water instead. Seungmin shoved him hard causing Hyunjin to fall flat on the floor.

“Have the room to yourself for a few days. I’ll come back at some point. Have fun without me.” Seungmin’s voice was dripping with rage. It was all he could do to gather a few things before leaving the dorm room. He drowned out the sounds of Minho and Jisung begging for him to talk by slamming the door shut.

Seungmin had to move fast before Minho could figure out which direction he went. There was no doubt that Minho would try to follow him. He opted for the elevator at the end of the hall, trying to sprint for it without causing a ruckus.

He was going to spend a few days away. His first thought was to ask if he can crash with Minho and Jisung for a bit, but Hyunjin will likely stop by there anyway.

It was a long shot, but he could ask Changbin instead. He was going to be in one of Seungmin’s labs tomorrow. The worst he can do is say no. For now, he’d crash at the campus library, study a bit and then try to catch a few hours of sleep. Seungmin needed some time to cool off.

\- - -

“So, uh, do you want us to go? Or…” Jisung drawled after Seungmin had left them in uncomfortable silence. Hyunjin had made no move to get up yet and could only at the ceiling. Minho had wandered the hallway for a bit to see if Seungmin was closeby, but he was nowhere to be seen.

“It’d be best for you to go. I need to… wrap my brain around what just happened,” Hyunjin mumbled. He groaned while sitting up, holding a hand to his chest. It stung from where the book hit him earlier.

Said book was lying crumpled on the ground next to him, open and twisted since its spine was ruined.

Jisung met Minho outside of that room and walked to their own in harsh silence.

They collapsed on their shared couch with a loud sigh.

“When did it get so bad between those two?” Minho voiced out in the otherwise silent room. “Middle school was stupid pranks and ruining crushes. High school was filled with a ton of arguing but nothing physical.”

+++

**_Junior Year_ **

“I fucking hate Kim Seungmin.”

Jisung jolted awake from Hyunjin slamming the door to his bedroom. He opted not to go to school today because he wasn’t feeling the best. His mother thought it was fine since his attendance was otherwise great.

Hyunjin had wound up with a key throughout their several years of friendship and was welcome at any time. Jisung was able to do the same with the Hwang’s household.

“I would’ve never guessed.” Jisung rolled his eyes while Hyunjin chucked his bookbag somewhere in the depths of Jisung’s closet. “What went down today?”

“It was in gym class. During my free time at the end of the class, me and a couple of guys were playing some basketball. Things were going well until I heard Seungmin talking shit about me." Hyunjin huffed as he sorted his thoughts.

"He was sitting on the bleachers close enough that I could kind of hear him. It caught me off guard so I walked closer to hear what was being said better.” Hyunjin was pacing while retelling his day. Jisung feels as if this is going nowhere because their arguments are never serious.

“He was telling some other students about how I failed my last math test and was fucking  _ smoking  _ in the locker room.”

“Wait- Hold on. That’s never happened?” Jisung finally sat up. He distinctly remembers Hyunjin getting an A on that test, and he refuses to smoke.

“Exactly! That bastard was lying. Guess who believed him though? You’ll never believe it.”

Jisung didn’t have a good feeling about it.

“The basketball coach.”

“No shit! He knows you’re a good student, what the hell?” Jisung found himself getting worked up over this as well.

“Now I’m on probation until they can prove I didn’t smoke or fail my tests. My grades won’t be a problem but everyone believes Seungmin about the smoking since he’s a star student.” He air quoted with a dramatic eye roll. “How am I supposed to win here?”

Hyunjin was fuming, but he was upset as well. He loved sports. Hyunjin liked trying new things and being able to work through frustrations physically. It’s how he and Jisung bonded.

“The worst thing is, if they can’t prove that I wasn’t smoking, I lose my scholarship.”

+++

“Let’s be honest, high school wasn’t that great.” Jisung hated that memory.

Hyunjin wound up losing his scholarship since they went with what the students had to say. He had to work hard to get an academic scholarship instead. Hyunjin wound up being one of the top students alongside Seungmin.

“Yeah, you’re right. Remember that fight in senior year? During lunch? I think that’s the only time I’ve seen them physically fight before today.” Minho had almost forgotten about that.

+++

**_Senior Year_ **

“Kim Seungmin!” Hyunjin shouted from a few tables away. Minho was carefully watching Seungmin to see if he would only egg Hyunjin on. When Seungmin completely ignored him, Minho let out a sigh of relief.

“Hey! I’m talking to you! Maybe you should fucking listen.” Hyunjin had moved from his table and was walking over to Seungmin.

“Maybe  _ you  _ should shut the fuck up and mind your own business!” Seungmin stood up from his place and met Hyunjin. “What the hell is your problem today?”

“My problem? I saw you cheating on that English exam today, and that’s the only reason you got a higher grade than I did.” Hyunjin was not keeping his volume down. The cafeteria began to grow quiet.

“What makes you think I was cheating? What does it even matter that I scored higher?” Seungmin’s mouth snapped shut when Hyunjin held up a piece of paper with all the exam answers on it. It was clearly in Seungmin’s handwriting too.

Seungmin had forgotten to study the materials for the test since he had the exam date wrong in his head. He decided to get the answers from another student who had taken the test yesterday. He scribbled down what he needed onto a sheet on paper and kept it in his jacket until he needed to use it for the test.

Seungmin reached for the slip of paper but Hyunjin held it out of reach.

“So should you tell the teacher or should I?” Hyunjin said with a taunting smirk.

Seungmin roughly shoved Hyunjin and grabbed the paper, causing it to tear in half. But, Hyunjin no longer cared about the paper.

A swing to Seungmin’s jaw caused a loud crack to resonate through the silent cafeteria. After that punch, the students were up and filming.

Seungmin stumbled but gained his bearings swiftly. He managed to knock Hyunjin off balance and pin him to the ground. One or two hits from Seungmin resulted in a broken nose for Hyunjin that started to bleed. A touch shove got Seungmin off of him so he could stand up.

Before any more damage could be done, Minho and Jisung wedged their way through the crowd of students to keep them apart. The two were trying to calm down their respective friends but they were still yelling at each other. Thankfully, the teachers arrived fast enough to deescalate the situation before it could get any worse.

Seungmin had to get a tooth repaired and wait for a fracture in his lower jaw to heal. While Hyunjin had to deal with a broken nose that was almost crushed. A lot of their healing took place at home considering they were both suspended for ten days. They’ve never been in any physical fights before, so the principle was gracious enough to not put it on their records. She did say that if it happened again, she would add both instances to their student records.

+++

“That was the longest ten days I’ve ever dealt with. It wasn’t even my suspension!” Jisung shouted. “Hyunjin was so whiny because he got sick as well with a broken nose. I could imagine that sucked but I was tired of hearing it.”

“I thought Seungmin was going to strangle me when I fell asleep during one of his rants. How have they never annoyed each other at home though? They’re neighbors!” Minho pointed out.

“Your guess is as good as mine. They can get it together, though. Sometimes things need to get worse before they get better.”

\- - -

Seungmin was dead on his feet. He didn’t get any sleep the night before and the campus cafe was closed, so he couldn’t get any coffee. The only thing he had in his favor today was that he had two classes.

When he got into the lab, he searched for Changbin. It seemed as if he were falling asleep while trying to finish a last-minute assignment. It didn’t even look like an assignment for the lab class, too many equations. Seungmin didn't come over to be nosy about his work.

“Hey, Changbin?” Seungmin said softly, he didn’t want to startle Changbin. The later yanked out the one earbud he had in his ear and looked up towards Seungmin.

“The world is finally ending. Kim Seungmin approaching me first? I'm honored.” Changbin teased. Seungmin had never been the biggest social butterfly, so anytime Changbin wanted to speak with him he had to initiate it.

“I need some help,” Seungmin started with a sigh, “My roommate is Hwang Hyunjin.”

Changbin blinked a few times before his eyes widened comically.

“How the hell did that happen? You two hate each other.” Changbin’s eyebrows knitted together in confusion.

“Tell me about it. We got into a massive argument last night. He lent a friend one of my textbooks and returned it to me shredded and unusable. I told him I would be gone for a while. Would it be too much to ask if I could crash at your dorm for a bit?” Seungmin didn’t want to overstep his boundaries, but he was his only option.

“Stay as long as you need. Jisung might come over a bit but my roommate is hardly there. He nearly lives with his girlfriend.” Changbin had no hesitation in helping Seungmin. It was a big relief.

“Let’s meet at the cafeteria around noon so I can show you where I’m at. You wanna stop by your dorm to pick up a few things?” Changbin asked before letting Seungmin return to his lab table.

“I can make it quick.” A quick nod from Changbin set their plan in place for the afternoon.

\- - -

“How long have you been sitting here?” Changbin shouted at Seungmin. He was perched on a bench near the fountain that was right outside the cafeteria.

“My classes ended about two hours ago so I’ve been doing some homework.” Seungmin fought to shove the few textbooks back into his bag before catching up with Changbin.

“You should’ve told me that! I got out an hour ago. I didn’t want to rush you or anything.”

“I didn’t mind the fresh air. I spent the entire night in the library so the sunlight revived me a little bit.” Seungmin said, earning a laugh from Changbin before they fell into a pleasant silence. When they got to Seungmin’s dorm room, Changbin stood outside while waiting for him to get his things.

He wasn’t paying attention to what he was grabbing at all. Seungmin could only hope there were whole outfits in the overnight bag.

“Let’s go before we run into him. He should be on his way back.” Seungmin ushered Changbin to the elevator.

The walk to Changbin’s dorm was enjoyable. Changbin had no problem carrying the conversation at first, but when Seungmin finally joined in it was fun for them both.

“Wait, hold on.” Seungmin stopped abruptly. Changbin's head whipped around to face him. “I’ve looked the same my whole life. I've never done anything interesting. Now is the perfect time to be impulsive. It's my first semester in college. That's when everyone else does something impulsive, right?” Seungmin thought aloud.

“Ever thought about bleaching your hair?” Changbin said after a moment of thought.

“Not until you said it. Let’s go get the stuff we need!” Seungmin was bouncing on his feet from the thought of doing something adventurous. Changbin could only chuckle at his excitement. Nonetheless, they went to a nearby store to get what they needed. Sure, Seungmin could get it done at a salon. Where’s the fun in that, though?

\- - -

“What the hell, is it supposed to burn?” Seungmin complained. Changbin was working on his hair at a snail's pace.

“Is it bad or more like itching?” Changbin reached around to dip the brush in the bowl of bleach that Seungmin was holding for him. It was strong and not the most enjoyable smell. He hoped it would be worth it in the end.

“It’s not unbearable, just feels like a sunburn.” Seungmin described as best he could. The dry brushing sound from it being applied was very distracting since it was all he could hear.

“Ok, if it gets any worse you can wash it out immediately.” He didn’t seem too worried about it, so it relaxed Seungmin a bit.

Thankfully he decided to speed up the application process after that. Around an hour and a half later, Changbin was drying Seungmin’s hair so he would only see the finished product.

“Not gonna lie, the blonde looks damn good on you,” Changbin said before handing him a mirror.

Seungmin almost didn’t recognize himself. Having light hair now in comparison was going to take some time getting used to, but he loved the result.

“Thank you so much! It looks great too.”

“I’m glad you like it, but I’m hungry as hell so let’s order something for dinner.”

\- - -

“It’s four in the  _ fucking  _ morning, what do you want Hyunjin?”

A very disgruntled Jisung answered the knocking on the door that woke him up. He sounded angry, but he looked worried instead. Minho must sleep heavily for the knocking to have woken Jisung up, instead of Minho.

“Can’t sleep at all. Figured I could see if I could sleep better elsewhere.” Hyunjin hadn’t been able to ease his mind. Did he finally push Seungmin to his breaking point? His mind wouldn’t stop racing.

He wasn’t sure how he felt about it.

“Oh come on, my bed should be big enough for both of us.” Jisung started dragging Hyunjin to his room without letting him answer.

“I can take the couch, I don’t want to ruin your sleep or anything.” Hyunjin felt bad for waking Jisung up.

“You say this like we haven’t been sharing a bed some nights for the past three years.” Jisung pointed out the obvious.

The two began sharing a bed when the spare mattress went with his sister when she moved out. They had been too lazy to come up with a different solution than sharing the bed. Hyunjin got used to Jisung’s company and still has no shame to make the other take a nap with him. Waking him up from a deep sleep made Hyunjin’s heart heavy with guilt. Especially since he knows Jisung doesn’t sleep the best.

The two soon settled down in Jisung’s bed. It was a mess of blankets and pillows, like how it was back at his home. It was some comfort to Hyunjin being in a familiar feeling space. Jisung was clinging to Hyunjin as if he were a pillow.

“You should probably apologize to Seungmin,” Jisung whispered into the silence.

“What about? I think he’s done with me completely now though.” Hyunjin sighed. Hyunjin and Seungmin were both getting older. They can’t keep arguing forever.

“Seungmin doesn’t seem to be like that. He seems willing to talk about it. You two would be great friends if you left the arguing behind you.” Jisung drummed his fingers on Hyunjin’s chest without any thought.

“We’ll see what happens when he comes back. You should get back to sleep.” Hyunjin tousled Jisung’s hair softly, only getting a huff in response before he fell asleep once again.

Hyunjin could only lay there until his mind calmed down enough for him to drift off.

\- - -

After spending close to a week at Changbin’s dorm, Seungmin decided to go back to his own. He was incredibly thankful and would find a way to pay him back in return. Even if it was monetary.

Seungmin did decide to make a last-minute visit to Minho’s room though.

“I haven’t seen you in days. You haven’t called me, texted me, sent me a fucking  _ letter _ , nothing! I was worried about your dumbass!” Minho greeted him before Seungmin finished knocking. One of Minho's sixth-senses must have kicked in for him to be there so soon.

“I’m- Sorry?” Seungmin didn’t know what to say. Minho was never one to be straightforward with his concerns.

“Who have you been staying with? Were you even staying anywhere? Have you eaten-” Minho stopped suddenly, squinting at Seungmin for a few seconds before speaking again. “Why are you blonde?”

“I’ve been staying with Changbin. I’ve been eating and I wanted a change so Changbin did this for me," Seungmin answered all the previous questions while Minho ran his fingers through Seungmin’s hair.

“Didn’t think you’d look good as a blonde, honestly. I’m just glad I don’t have to worry about you anymore. It was exhausting.” Minho brought Seungmin into a suffocating hug. He would probably leave some light bruises from his intense hug.

“Whatever, I’m fine now. I’ve cooled off so I shouldn’t implode at the sight of Hyunjin.” Seungmin said right as he saw Hyunjin turn the corner from the kitchen of Minho’s dorm. Minho immediately noticed the tension and ushered Seungmin out of the doorway.

“Ok, no. No confrontation in my room. He’s been sleeping with Jisung every night because he felt bad about the whole situation. I also mean sleeping together as literally that, I didn’t think that through before I said it. Ew, I couldn't imagine those two having-” Minho rambled on.

“I get it, Minho. I wasn’t going to argue or anything. It’s some lingering anger. I’ll get over it soon.” Seungmin cut him off before he could hear too much of his internal monologue.

“Seungmin. He knows he’s pushed the limit. Maybe he’ll come around or something. Just- take it easy for a bit.”

\- - -

“Hey! Seungmin!” Jisung greeted him by shouting at him the next morning. Hyunjin decided to sleep in Minho and Jisung’s dorm again last night. “I have the biggest favor to ask.” Jisung looked worried.

“What is it?” If Jisung were anything like Hyunjin, it could be some off-the-wall request.

“So, Hyunjin is sick. Really fucking sick. He annoys me when he’s sick and I’ve been stuck with him like twenty-four seven. Could you deal with him? I’ll get you a new textbook in return.” Jisung’s offer was golden, but it seemed a bit much.

“That was a pricey textbook, Jisung. I appreciate it but-”

“I’ve got a friend that got out of that class last semester, and he said he would let me take it for half the original price. Don’t worry about that. So will you?” Jisung looked hopeful, and Seungmin wasn’t in the position to turn down a free textbook.

“Alright, I’ll do it. Is he going to class today?” Seungmin asked.

“No, but I’ll keep him here until you’re done for the day.”

\- - -

“Hyunjin, you’re gonna choke if you lay down and drink water at the same time.” They have been in their living area for a total of five minutes and Seungmin was already wanting to give him back to Jisung.

“Sitting up takes a lot of energy,” Hyunjin said. His voice sounded gravelly and hoarse. Hyunjin managed to pull himself upright and slump against the side of the couch instead. He was sweating and breathing hard, but he wasn’t running a high fever.

“Are you hungry?” Seungmin was a bit concerned for him. He would never admit that aloud, but he can’t remember Hyunjin ever being this sick.

“I have no idea. I ate late last night so I should be fine for a while.”

Seungmin stayed in the dining room while he worked on his homework. He could see Hyunjin fighting sleep while he was trying to watch a movie. He did inevitably lose the battle, sliding down into the couch even further once he relaxed in his sleep.

Seungmin was going to leave him there. But, he decided to drape a blanket over Hyunjin when he noticed him shivering. He hoped he wouldn’t mention it, Seungmin doing something nice for him was unheard of. If Hyunjin did try to bring it up it would most likely end awkwardly.

Once he sat back down to start studying, Seungmin was struggling to focus on his materials. He would read paragraphs only to realize he could recall none of it. Instead, he could remember that Hyunjin was snoring or rolling around in his sleep.

Hyunjin needed to get well before Seungmin lost his damn mind.

\- - -

“Seungmin? Don’t you have class?”

Seungmin was rocking from the force Hyunjin was shaking him with, but it slowly roused him from his sleep. He cracked his eyes open, adjusting to the light filtering in through the window.

He had fallen asleep in the living room. He sat down on the small chair next to the sofa to turn off Hyunjin’s movie but never moved from it.

“Wait- What? What time is it?”

“8:30. I only got up a few minutes ago.” Hyunjin said.

“Shit! I’m so fucking late- I’ve missed my first class. My alarm didn’t go off?” Seungmin was scrambling to find his phone to see that it was completely dead. His luck was awful today.

“What classes do you have left today? Is it even worth it? You obviously needed the sleep.” Hyunjin was trying to diffuse the situation instead of encouraging Seungmin’s hostility. Weird.

“I only have an English course left since I’m way too late for my current class.” Seungmin was trying to shove his books into his bookbag when Hyunjin snatched it away from him. Seungmin stared on in confusion.

“Seungmin. Go back to sleep. One day isn’t going to hurt when I know you never miss class.” Hyunjin’s voice sounded better from yesterday, but nowhere near normal.

Seungmin often doesn’t listen to him since he’s usually spitting out some bullshit he couldn’t care less about. Seungmin’s eyes were burning with sleepiness. He probably only slept an hour, so he opted to listen to Hyunjin for once.

“I’ll go back to sleep after emailing my professors. You go sleep in an actual bed before you fuck up your neck.” Seungmin turned away before he could get a proper response from Hyunjin.

Seungmin didn’t like Hyunjin being that nice. They didn’t get along like that.

\- - -

Hyunjin woke up to his phone ringing around noon. He dismissed the call before reading the name on the screen. After seeing ten missed calls from Jisung, he was wide awake.

He dialed back quickly, Jisung must’ve been waiting for the call back to answer right away.

“What’s wrong? Why did you call so much?” Hyunjin rushed out.

_ “I didn’t see Seungmin at all on campus? And you wouldn’t answer me? I was worried, ok?” _ Jisung sounded relieved to be speaking to Hyunjin. He could count on one hand the number of times Jisung has spammed his phone while worried. Seungmin not being on campus set off alarms for the frazzled blonde.

“Do you feel better now that you know we’re alive, Sungie?” Hyunjin meant to say it in a teasing tone, but it was more tender than he anticipated.

_ “Whatever, you two didn’t kill each other so it’s fine.” _ Jisung shrugged off with a scoff, _ “Did you two actually socialize last night?” _

“We didn’t argue.” Hyunjin could hear Jisung choke on his breath.

_ “Is Seungmin sick too? Are you sure it’s not his doppelgänger?”  _ There’s the sarcastic Jisung that Hyunjin knows and loves.

“He's fine, just tired. He was still snarky but we didn’t argue. Now, I’m hungry as fuck so I’m getting off of here. Text me if you need me.”

He chucked his phone back onto the nightstand and pulled himself upright. The floor was cold to his bare feet. There wasn’t much he could do about it then get to the carpeted living area faster.

Hyunjin didn’t expect Seungmin to be awake, let alone cooking.

“What are you making?” Seungmin jumped before turning around with a spatula held threateningly at Hyunjin. “I should’ve made some noise first.”

“You think? Lunch is almost ready so go ahead and sit down.” Seungmin said, but with less bite than usual. Hyunjin couldn’t see what he was making yet he wasn’t going to tell Seungmin no.

Seungmin grabbed an oven mitt to place under the pot so it could sit on the dinner table. When Seungmin took the lid off the large soup pot, Hyunjin immediately wanted to dig in.

“It’s nothing special. Just some quick chicken noodle soup. I don’t know how to make the fancy stuff.” Seungmin handed Hyunjin the dishes he would need before sitting down himself.

“It smells like the fancy stuff though. It’s better than what I could make.” Hyunjin wasted no time on getting a massive bowl of food. It was scorching hot and he would come to regret eating that fast later, but it was too delicious to let go to waste.

“Can you cook?” Seungmin seemed to be settling on a comfortable conversation instead of snapping at Hyunjin. It was pleasant.

“If it can be made in the toaster, I’m golden,” Hyunjin said with faux confidence. Seungmin laughed but not in a condescending manner.

“I’ll tell you the next time I cook so you can watch and see what’s happening,” Seungmin said, a soft smile gracing his lips. Hyunjin can’t ever remember having Seungmin smile at him.

During the rest of the meal, they were more focused on eating than talking. They both continued with their day without interacting after cleaning up.

Hyunjin was honestly shocked that Seungmin didn’t argue with him once today. He wanted that peace to last as long as possible. Even if the peace only lasted the rest of the day.

\- - -

Seungmin was coming up on his first big exam of the semester. He was gracious to Jisung who had gotten him the biology textbook. It was the very class he was preparing for.

He and Hyunjin weren’t on the best terms after Hyunjin recovered, but they weren’t arguing every day either. Their dorm room was silent while they ignored each other to study. Minho and Jisung would visit them from time to time, only to escape soon after because of the awkward silence.

Every night for the past three days, Seungmin found himself studying until his alarm goes off the next morning. He’s worried over not getting a high grade. The first exams are some of the most important to score well on since the material only gets more difficult. Seungmin finds himself dozing off in class but jolts awake in fear of missing something. After thinking back on it, he can only recall getting two hours of sleep in the past three days.

Hyunjin has become worried over Seungmin being awake when he’s getting ready to go to class. He gets up at the same time Seungmin does so he has plenty of time to himself before he heads to class a few hours later. So to see him absorbed in his textbook with discarded water bottles surrounding him was concerning.

Seungmin has never been one to skip out on sleep to study. He remembers hearing Seungmin tell Minho, more than once, to sleep rather than study if he needed to.

Hyunjin headed back to the dorm early since his next class got canceled. He rarely has unexpected free time, so he fires up a movie to watch while he relaxes. If he has his dates correct in his head, today should be Seungmin’s biology exam.

He’s not sure why he’s so worried about Seungmin. It’s not like they’re best friends. Yet, Seungmin's always been precautious with his health. Hyunjin finds himself worrying more over Seungmin than relaxing.

When he hears the main door crack open, he feels a wave of relief wash over him. Yet, seeing Seungmin hardly stand on his own two feet pushed the relief down. He had a white-knuckled grip on the counter as he tried to regain his balance.

“Seungmin? Are you ok?” Hyunjin rushed over to Seungmin. He was trying to lock the door back but couldn’t get the key in the lock. When he turned around to face Hyunjin after giving up is when his balance completely gave out. Seungmin crumpled to the floor, his head narrowly missing the kitchen counter.

Seungmin attempted to pull his way back up to stand with the help of the counter. But, Hyunjin took the opportunity to lift him over his shoulder.

Sure it’s not the most graceful way to carry someone, but it’s the easiest way to get him somewhere he can rest.

Hyunjin does his best to put Seungmin down on his bed gently, but it was more like a toss. Seungmin was too far out to notice. When he turned around to leave, Seungmin grabbed the back of his shirt sleeve.

“Stay.”

Now that’s something Hyunjin didn’t expect.

Before he can think too hard about it, he gives in to settle down next to Seungmin. At least this way Hyunjin will know he’s sleeping because he can’t move around him. Seungmin tucked into Hyunjin’s side ever so slightly and immediately fell asleep.

Hyunjin thinks this may be the only time he’s ever seen Seungmin so relaxed. The steady rhythm of Seungmin’s heartbeat lulled Hyunjin to sleep soon after.

When Hyunjin stirs back up, Seungmin is still asleep and the sun is only now setting. He thinks they slept for three or four hours. He didn't notice the time when Seungmin came home. Hyunjin does his best to wiggle out of Seungmin’s iron grip on his waist. Succeeding after almost waking him up twice.

He was going to let Seungmin sleep as long as he needed, for now, he’s going to talk to Minho about it.

He shut and locked the door quietly, but saw Minho walking down the hallway with an overnight bag.

“I’ve been sexiled, they didn’t even let me leave before they started. Never want to hear Changbin and Jisung go at it again.” Minho rants a bit once he noticed Hyunjin’s confused look. “I’m headed to Chan’s dorm, he’s in a few of my classes so we’ve gotten close.”

“Ah, can’t blame you for wanting to escape as soon as possible.” Hyunjin laughed a bit. “I wanted to talk to you about Seungmin for a minute though.” Hyunjin watched Minho’s eyebrows creep upwards in skepticism.

“Do continue.” Minho propped against the wall, his interest was piqued.

“He hadn’t slept in like three or four days because he was too busy studying. Has he ever done that before?” Hyunjin said. The amused look immediately dropped from Minho’s face.

“No. Never. He’s always valued his sleep. Is he sleeping now?” Hyunjin could see Minho getting worked up.

“Yeah, he’s sleeping. He made me stay with him, even I fell asleep, but he’s still asleep.” Hyunjin reassured Minho. His shoulders relaxed as he knew his friend was sleeping.

“Let me know when he wakes up, I’ll lecture him,” Minho said lightly, but Hyunjin knew he was serious. “For now, I’ll be at Chan’s. Give me your phone so I can put my number in it.”

Hyunjin wordlessly handed over his phone after unlocking it. It didn’t take Minho long to text himself and be on his way.

Hyunjin wasn’t sure what to make of his sudden concern over Seungmin.

\- - -

“Did you tell Minho I wasn’t sleeping?” Seungmin slurred once he emerged from his room the next morning. His eyes were half-closed as he leaned against the wall, waving his phone around. “I’ve got a whole essay worth of paragraphs from him about why I should sleep. That fucker even gave me citations to really sell it. His source,  _ dude just trust me,  _ but in APA format.”

Hyunjin didn’t think he was that serious but once Seungmin showed him his phone, he burst out in a fit of giggles.

“He said he would lecture you but I didn’t think it’d be like this!” Seungmin took back his phone with a scowl that had no bite to it.

“He sometimes acts like a mom and he doesn’t realize he does it.” Seungmin dug around in the cabinets until he found something he could eat. “He’s been like that for as long as I've known him.”

“Really?” Hyunjin turned down the volume of his movie.

“Yeah! I remember once I fell from a skateboard and he was hysterical while my mom was like  _ here’s a bandaid _ .” Seungmin and Hyunjin laughed in unison. “It was his skateboard too so he wound up throwing it away so _ I  _ wouldn’t get hurt!”

“That sounds like something Jisung would do, honestly.” Hyunjin tacked on.

“Jisung seems like a handful, not gonna lie.” Seungmin plopped down onto the couch with Hyunjin, tucking his feet under himself.

“Jisung once wanted to ask this girl out in middle school, but he was too unconventional about it.”

Seungmin was already struggling to contain his laughter. He's heard stories about Jisung through the grapevine, but nothing specific.

“You remember hearing about that kid that managed to get the band students to play ‘Can’t You Feel the Love Tonight?’”

“ _ No way _ !”

“That was Jisung!” Seungmin was laughing so hard he was crying. “He went through all that, and still got rejected. I'm not sure he thought it through.”

“Poor Jisung, but damn that was funny.”

Hyunjin could get used to this.

\- - -

“Jisung, I swear he hates me.” Hyunjin huffed after laying his head down onto Jisung’s lap. His hand immediately combs through Hyunjin’s hair before he speaks.

“I don’t think he does. You two had several days where you talked and whatnot. Maybe he’s unsure of where to go from there? You may have to ask Minho about it.” Jisung said, not looking away from his phone.

“Where even is Minho?” Hyunjin asked. Minho hadn’t been in the dorm with Jisung all day when he usually stops by before going elsewhere.

“He’s with Chan. They could be on a date.” Jisung faked a gag before laughing. “Minho never shuts up about him so that’s what I figure at least. He's not been specific.”

“They’d be cute together.”

Jisung’s dorm room is flung open which startles the two on the couch.

“Seungmin is refusing to leave the library and I don’t know how to make him leave,” Changbin announced. His hair was sticking out in various directions after taking his beanie off. “He’s been there since this morning. I don’t even know what he's so worried about! He scores the highest on all of his tests!” Changbin stretches out across the left side of the couch.

“I’ll make him leave,” Hyunjin said with determination before standing up. Changbin and Jisung shared a look of confusion before glancing back at Hyunjin.

“You?” They said in unison.

“You don’t think I can make him leave?” Hyunjin scoffed to himself from the silent challenge issued to him. “If we’re not back in an hour, then he isn’t leaving.”

He didn’t have a plan on how to get Seungmin to come back to the dorm, but he figures he could at least try. Hyunjin kind of missed his company today. That’s one of the main reasons he had been with Jisung for a while. Seungmin didn’t seem like the evil guy he made himself out to be, and it confused Hyunjin.

For so long, he believed he hated Seungmin. Now that they had been having civil and fun conversations, he wonders why this started. The farthest thing he can think back to was them fighting at an old family dinner.

Was that it? All these years of fighting and arguing because of that?

His thoughts made the trip to the library seem much shorter since he was greeted by the large doors sooner than later. It was a bit cold in the library as usual. Hyunjin should’ve brought a coat but it was still early enough in fall it didn't always warrant needing one.

It didn’t take long to find Seungmin. He had hidden away in the back of the first floor where no one would bother him. Books were scattered across the table. It looked like he was working on things from all his classes.

Hyunjin pulled out the chair across from Seungmin and waited for him to notice.

“What do you want, Hyunjin?” Seungmin muttered without even looking up from his book.

“I wanted to apologize,” Hyunjin said without thinking. Seungmin’s head whipped up, his brows knitted in confusion.

“For what?”

“For spilling food on you when we were like, twelve.”

Seungmin sat and silently stared at Hyunjin for what felt like an eternity. Now and then, Seungmin would open his mouth to say something but stop himself.

“I- Ok?” Seungmin was still in disbelief.

“The few conversations we’ve had that we weren’t fighting were nice. I figure moving on from the petty arguing would benefit us both.” Hyunjin explained. Seungmin slowly nodded as he realized the reason. “I’ve heard that you have been here all day, though. Let’s grab some takeout and head back to the dorm.”

Seungmin didn’t think twice before packing his things up. Hyunjin sent Jisung a smug text that mentioned they were leaving the library.

The two ended the night well. Yet, neither knew what to do next.

\- - -

Making a point to speak to each other started very stiffly. Each knew a lot about the other, but nothing at the same time.

“You said I could watch you cook at some point, right?” Hyunjin said as he stared into the empty refrigerator. “We need to get some groceries so I could try and help you make something tonight?” His tone was hesitant, not even turning around to face Seungmin who was on the couch.

“Sure. Let me grab a jacket and we can go right now.” Seungmin darted off to retrieve his coat. Hyunjin was frozen as he tried to grasp the fact he agreed.

They strolled to a nearby grocery store, albeit quite silently.

“What do you want to make?” Seungmin proposed as he grabbed a cart on the way into the store. “You’re pushing this, though.”

“Oh, why me?” Hyunjin whined, an exaggerated pout settling on his lips.

“I wind up running into other people. But, you didn’t answer me.” Seungmin pointed Hyunjin in the direction of the produce section.

“Something simple? Kinda want tacos though, not gonna lie.”

“I watched you bring back the family pack of tacos from Taco Bell yesterday. And you’re telling me you still want that?” Seungmin teased.

“It was cold! So it only made me want tacos more since that one was so bad.” Hyunjin explained while laughing. His laughter was contagious enough to make Seungmin giggle as well.

“Fine, it works with me,” Seungmin said before walking off to get the things he needed. Leaving Hyunjin to follow him.

By the time they were checking out, they had spent double what they initially thought they would. Hyunjin managed to talk Seungmin into getting more snacks. They also agreed on grabbing some extra household items, even if they didn't need them.

Either way, the dent in their wallets was a bit more than they had anticipated.

“You know, tacos aren’t that hard to make,” Seungmin said after throwing the groceries on the counter. “I might let you help.”

Hyunjin could see the teasing smile on Seungmin’s face. It was a much-welcomed change from the scowl he had received for years.

“Oh? What could I even help with?” Hyunjin asked. He wasn’t sure there was much to do.

“All you have to do is cook the beef until it’s brown, not burned-” Seungmin made sure to point out, “-and then add these to it.” He handed Hyunjin a packet of seasoning and some sauce. Seungmin didn't want to deal with making it from scratch.

“It shouldn’t give you any trouble. I’ll cut everything up that goes with it while you cook.”

And like that, the two began making dinner. They got in each other’s way a few times when trying to maneuver in the small kitchen area, but they made it work.

Hyunjin was rather proud of how the finished product turned out. It was edible, first and foremost, but it was also rather tasty. They ate until no leftovers were remaining. Needless to say, they ate a ton of food. Hyunjin and Seungmin both felt rather tired afterward but cleaned up the kitchen together.

“Maybe I should let you help me cook more often. It’s always nice to have help.” Seungmin said.

Hyunjin received possibly one of the brightest smiles he has ever seen. He couldn’t help but smile in return, promising to help the younger cook from now on before they headed off to their rooms.

Hyunjin wondered how much there was to Seungmin that he had overlooked due to being so against him.

\- - -

Seungmin wasn’t blind. He knew Hyunjin was hot, objectively speaking.

He never paid attention to his looks since he had no real reason to. However, now Seungmin is beginning to notice the work Hyunjin puts into his body. His shoulders are broad and taper down into a slim waistline. His thighs fill out his usual skinny jeans very well. No, Seungmin doesn’t think that he stares, per se. He’s just  _ looking  _ at Hyunjin. That’s it.

But, Seungmin wasn’t going to let that bother him. It’s not like he’s seen much of Hyunjin. He doesn’t plan to either.

Seungmin left his afternoon class early after finishing a mock exam. He was thankful the teacher let them leave when they were done. Some teachers don't and it annoys him. The dorm hall was quiet, alluding to the fact most students had class around this time. He wasn’t complaining, Seungmin hardly gets any peace unless he’s studying.

He lies down on the couch to scroll through social media but falls asleep instead. Seungmin didn’t note the time before he dozed off. He did startle awake though once he heard Hyunjin speaking to him.

Dear God, Seungmin should’ve kept his eyes closed.

“I just came back from the gym, but you’re here? Did you leave early?” Hyunjin asked, toweling at his long hair. It looked like he had gotten out of the shower minutes before. Hyunjin only had on a pair of sweatpants that seemed too big for him, considering how dangerously low they were on his hips.

Seungmin was hoping his eyes didn’t linger too long on Hyunjin’s well-toned stomach and chest.

“Ah- Yeah! Had a test today so the teacher let us leave once we finished.” Seungmin stuttered out. He was doing his best to ignore the heat creeping up his neck and face.

“Oh, cool. How long have you been back? You were sleeping pretty well.” Hyunjin sank onto the couch close to Seungmin. He was beginning to wonder what heinous things he did in a previous life to be subjected to a shirtless Hwang Hyunjin, and need to be indifferent about it. Seungmin could see the muscles in his back ripple and flex when Hyunjin stretched out for the remote far across the table.

“Probably two hours? I'm not sure.” Seungmin finally peeled his eyes away from Hyunjin. He decided it would be best to not look at him again if he wanted to think properly.

The two sat in silence while Hyunjin was channel surfing, but Seungmin’s brain was still racing.

“Can you put on a shirt?” Seungmin blurted out before he could catch himself. Hyunjin looked stunned before glancing down at his chest. Seungmin could see his body flush from the realization that he was more exposed than he thought he was.

“Oh, fuck. I forgot to put one on earlier. I’ll be right back.” Hyunjin ran off to his room to get something to put on. He came back out with a shirt that was probably big enough for the both of them. He sure owned plenty of oversized clothing, but Seungmin was the same way. It was more comfortable.

Hyunjin’s cheeks were still pink from earlier, but Seungmin chose not to comment. All he knows is that Hyunjin is, indeed, very attractive. Maybe he’ll forget the whole thing happened eventually.

\- - -

“Can I… help you?” Seungmin asked cautiously upon opening the door to Jisung and Minho. “Hyunjin isn’t here if you’re wondering. I think he’s at the library.”

Jisung and Minho pushed by him without another word, the large box in Jisung’s hand hitting him in the knee.

“What is-”

“I want to do your makeup! I just think you’d look really cute in a lot of glittery colors but I didn’t know if you’d let me do it or not. So I brought Minho… for some reason.” Jisung trailed off while biting the inside of his cheek.

“I don’t have a problem with it? Did you bring any makeup remover or something? Because I don’t have that.” Seungmin said. He saw the adorable glimmer in Jisung’s eyes multiply while he started digging through his box.

“I do! A lot of these are my personal products so I hope you don’t mind? I know I don’t do my makeup when I’m sick so you should be good.” Jisung giggled. Minho dragged up a chair into the middle of the kitchen where the light was the best.

“You use cool white light bulbs? Knew I could trust you.” Jisung ushered Seungmin to where he’d be sitting. “The warm light throws me off trying to do my makeup. Nothing looks right when it’s all got an orange filter.” Seungmin snorted but understood where Jisung was coming from. He didn't want to burst Jisung's bubble but he only bought them because they were on sale. He normally doesn't notice a difference whether it's cool or warm light bulbs.

When Jisung started working on whatever he was doing, Seungmin could hear Minho throwing in random ideas.

_ “What about gold glitter through his eyebrows?” _

_ “What about some eyeliner?” _

_ “Pink lipgloss?” _

After a while, Seungmin felt himself zoning out. It was oddly relaxing to have his makeup done. The brushes were soft but not ticklish. Jisung’s touch for whenever it was needed would be warm and gentle, not tugging at his skin in the slightest. Seungmin could’ve easily fallen asleep.

But, Minho and Jisung were loud by nature. The two kept speaking to each other in the loudest way possible, but Seungmin didn’t mind it at all.

“Ok, my masterpiece is completed. Go look and tell me what you think.” Jisung said, obviously excited.

Seungmin made his way to the bathroom where the biggest mirror was, while Jisung started to pack up his things.

“Oh? I didn’t know you were coming over, Ji.” Hyunjin said upon opening the door. “Makeup?” He wasn't planning on hanging around in the living room. His bed was calling his name and he was not about to deny himself a nap.

“Yeah! Seungmin let me do his makeup and I think he looks great.” Jisung sent Hyunjin a wink before continuing what he was doing.

Hyunjin turned the corner to go to his bedroom but collided with Seungmin’s chest.

Hyunjin immediately wrapped an arm around Seungmin’s waist to make sure he didn’t fall backward. It left their chests pressed together.

The light coming from the living area was reflecting off the glitter on Seungmin’s eyelids. He couldn't look away.

Seungmin looked gorgeous. But was it the makeup, or had Hyunjin not noticed before?

Hyunjin brought a hand up to Seungmin’s jaw, tilting his face from side-to-side to get a good look at what Jisung had done. When he realized how close he was to Seungmin, he jumped back clumsily.

“Sorry. Uh, the makeup looks really nice though. You look great. It looks good on you. The makeup itself is great but- like- yeah. I’m gonna go.” Hyunjin stuttered before maneuvering past Seungmin to get to his room.

Seungmin could see Jisung looking at him with remarkably wide eyes, while Minho had the slyest smirk he had ever seen.

“Oh? You didn’t immediately throw punches?” Jisung said, his face contorted as he tried to work out what he had just seen.

“We talked it out and are trying to be friends,” Seungmin explained, moving into the living area so he can sit down comfortably.

“Hm, that looked to be a bit more than friendly. But what do I know?” Minho said. He sighed deeply while trying to hide a smile. “You two are cute together, even just as friends.”

“I’m leaving this makeup remover with you, so you can take that off whenever you feel the need to. Don’t worry about getting it back to me, I stock up on this regularly.” Jisung shoved the large bottle of cleanser into Seungmin’s hands. It wasn’t what he was familiar with but Jisung knew what he was doing, he wouldn't purposefully give Seungmin the wrong products.

“Thank you, Jisung. It looks great.”

“Jisung sounds so formal." He complained, "Feel free to call me whatever the fuck Hyunjin does. Spice up the nicknames, surprise me!” Jisung cheered before linking arms with Minho. “Shall we?”

“Let’s get takeout. Bye, Minnie!” Minho called out over his shoulder before leaving with Jisung.

Seungmin couldn’t help but remain planted on the couch.

Hyunjin held him close to his chest and was analyzing Seungmin’s face so closely. Seungmin hoped he hadn’t felt his heartbeat go wild. He wasn’t expecting something like that to happen.

They should talk about it, but really, is there anything to talk about yet?

\- - -

“Alright. We both can agree that was not platonic, right?” Minho said, right before stuffing a large slice of beef in his mouth. He immediately started fanning his mouth, either from heat or spice, Jisung didn’t know yet.

“Well, yeah? I mean, you don’t look at your homies like they hung the stars in the sky, now do you?” Jisung said, watching Minho clumsily fumble for the bottle of water across from him. He downed several gulps before he put it back down.

“I don’t think you do. So something fishy is going on there.”

“You think there’s like, romantic feelings? Or just sexual tension.” Jisung proposes, tucking his feet beneath him on the small couch. He was tired of Minho kicking his ankles so it would be more comfortable like this. They opted to use the coffee table as their dining space, instead of the actual table they had.

“Hm, maybe both? They seem like a good match for each other. If they had never argued they would probably be dating. So, there could be some sexual tension too. They’re both too stubborn to see it though.” Minho said. Sighing intensely into whatever he was eating next.

“Maybe it’ll work itself out? I’m hoping for the best here.”

“Me too, Ji.”

\- - -

Seungmin was relieved that it was finally Friday again. His classes went by easily today, so he felt like he could study a bit better than usual. While Hyunjin was gone, he decided to read over the chapter that would be covered in the next lecture. He usually doesn’t do that, but he was feeling good so he didn’t question it.

"Hey," Hyunjin announced after he caused a ruckus while entering the dorm. It sounded like he was carrying several bags. Seungmin figured his chatting was from politeness and not the actual need to say anything. "I got some drinks? Maybe we can play some card games and drink tonight?" He said, trying not to sound worried.

Now, this was interesting. They didn't often spend time together at will. If they crossed paths at the same time or needed to be in the same room, it wasn't an issue. The two never seemed to ask about hanging out. To Seungmin, this proposal was very new.

First, he didn't know Hyunjin liked anything alcoholic. Then second, Seungmin didn't know how to respond at all. He gently closed his book and turned to face Hyunjin.

"Sure?" Seungmin's voice wavered with uncertainty, "That'd be nice. What drinks did you get?" Seungmin does not know his alcohol. He knows the basic things but that is the extent of his knowledge.

"Just some beer and some low-alcohol type things. I didn't think you'd like beer, so I got something that should be sweeter as well."

Stop. Rewind.

Hyunjin had been planning this? He got something with Seungmin in mind specifically. If Seungmin hadn't agreed, then Hyunjin would've wasted an entire pack of drinks.

"Oh! That's nice, thank you." Seungmin stumbled around his words.

"It's nothing, to be honest, I don't like beer all that much. I either want the really strong stuff or nothing." Hyunjin said a wide smile on his face was seen before he turned to put the drinks in the refrigerator. "Sometimes, they're decent I guess."

"I don't really drink, at all. But that shouldn't be surprising." Seungmin admits.

"Not too surprising, but you don't have to drink tonight if you don't want to," Hyunjin said, a bit more serious than Seungmin expected. Hyunjin was still facing away from him and wasn't able to see the brief shock that flashed on Seungmin's face.

"It's fine! I don't want to do anything stupid, so I won't drink much."

"Great!" Hyunjin turned back around, two drinks in hand, "Grab the cards then."

\- - -

"Hyunjin!" Seungmin whined loudly, "I can't believe we aren't playing the game right. We have to start over!"

Hyunjin erupted into giggles, watching Seungmin's bottom lip jut out in defiance.

"We can keep playing with our own rules? I mean, it's kind of like Uno and..." Hyunjin trailed off in thought. "Let's just make it Uno somehow."

"You propose this how?" Seungmin was struggling to keep up.

"We ditch the colors, and make the categories spade, diamond, heart, and club?"

"Ok, and so like we can match either the numbers or the categories?" Seungmin was hoping he could keep up with these rules as the game continued. The thought of Uno was already giving him a headache, but a new version? He was doomed.

"We're fucking geniuses. We need to drink more often." Hyunjin cheered.

The two manage to continue playing their variation of Uno until Hyunjin loses. Well, they hope they followed their new set of rules.

"No! I was so close." Hyunjin pouted, crossing his arms over his chest for an extra bit of flair.

"Don't be sad about it."

"Make it up to me!" Hyunjin looked up at Seungmin through his lashes, expression unreadable. Seungmin didn't know the best way to make it up to him, but honestly, he wasn't thinking much anyway. Hyunjin's lips had been catching his attention for the last several minutes.

His lips were red and shining from where he had been worrying them between his teeth the entire game. His cheeks were dusted with pink from the alcohol, and Seungmin could feel himself caving in. Before he could stop himself, he leaned across the table to connect their lips.

Hyunjin pressed back into the kiss in an instant, placing his hand on Seungmin's cheek. Seungmin could taste the beer on his lips but ignored it anyway. The plushness of Hyunjin's lips more than made up for it.

"Was that enough to make it up?" Seungmin said, pulling back to look at Hyunjin's face. He could see Hyunjin staring at him fiercely, eyes heavy with newfound desire.

"I don't know yet. I think you'll have to keep kissing me for me to figure it out." Hyunjin said, pulling Seungmin around the table. He guided the younger to sit in his lap, connecting their lips yet again when he settled down. Seungmin was struggling to push down the excitement he was feeling, something about the situation was terribly right.

Seungmin was grabbing at Hyunjin's shirt, balling it up in his fists as he fought against Hyunjin's desire to lead the kiss. Seungmin enjoyed Hyunjin's growing frustration since Seungmin refused to part his lips. He couldn't help but smirk into the kiss.

"Bratty?" Hyunjin grumbled, "Or not getting the hint?"

"Hm," Seungmin couldn't help the satisfied hum that left his throat, "What'd you think?"

His pride didn't last long when Hyunjin grabbed his ass with both hands, digging his fingers into the material of Seungmin's pants. Their chests were pressed so tightly together that they could feel each other's rapid heartbeats. Hyunjin took the opportunity when Seungmin gasped to slip his tongue past the younger's lips.

"That's not fair!" Seungmin pulled back to complain, leaving his neck open for Hyunjin to work on next. He trailed soft kisses across his jawline and down his neck, finding one place particularly interesting. "Hey, no marks either!"

"You're no fun," Hyunjin said softly, a smile plastered on his face before he placed a few final pecks on Seungmin's lips. "I think you've made up the loss to me now."

Seungmin stands up, a bit wobbly at first, and drags himself back to his original spot.

"Well, I'm glad I did," Seungmin said. A silence blanketing over them afterward.

Neither of them knew what to do now. They could tell they were sobering up, and Seungmin wasn't ready to have that conversation.

"I"m going to head to bed. It was nice hanging out with you, we should do that more." Seungmin gathers up his trash to throw away, "Good night." He said, tossing the garbage into the bag before scurrying to his room.

He figured it would be nice to take a shower and properly do his nightly routine. Right now, he wants nothing more than to sleep and to try and forget what just happened.

It would be best for everyone if they could pretend they didn't make out only because Hyunjin lost the game.

Seungmin knew it wouldn't be that easy, but he could sure fucking pretend it would be.

\- - -

His alarm was deafening.

Turns out he didn't put his phone on the charger. His phone was lying next to his pillow while playing the alarm on max volume.

Seungmin could hardly read the time, but it was before noon. He considered it a win considering the events from the night before.

Drinks. Uno gone so wrong it was right again. Kissing Hyunjin.

Seungmin groaned loudly, the memory of him initiating the kiss haunting him. He remembered every second of it. How soft his lips were on his, the roughness of his hands on his body, the raspy tone in his voice once they were done. Seungmin was dizzy at the thought.

But, he shouldn’t be though. He didn’t like Hyunjin.

Right?

Looking back on it though, all signs were starting to point to the opposite.

Seungmin has seen way more of Minho than he would ever like, but Seungmin can’t say the same about Hyunjin. His mind unhelpfully brings the image of Hyunjin fresh out of the shower to the forefront of his mind. He can’t deny there’s physical attraction.

He also can’t deny the growing affection he feels for him daily. Hyunjin does so many small things that build over time, that Seungmin can’t help falling for.

Telling him to have a good day before Seungmin leaves for his classes. Offering to do the dishes when he's exhausted. And so much more stacks up into things Seungmin is grateful for. If they had stopped arguing earlier then he could’ve seen these things already.

He figures falling so fast and hard was only natural considering their relationship. Was anything about it expected? It was all meant to fall into place in the strangest way possible.

Seungmin thinks he can buy more time and figure out how to make his freshly realized feelings go away, but a few soft knocks at his door ruins those plans.

Hyunjin peeked his head into Seungmin’s room, eyes widening when he saw Seungmin was awake.

“I thought you were asleep, but I wasn’t sure. I’ll be out-”

“No, that’s- just come in, it’s ok.” Seungmin finally sat up, trying to tame down his hair which he already knows is unruly.

Hyunjin can make the messy hair look nice somehow, and it twisted Seungmin’s nerves and stomach into knots. His eyes were hooded and his face was swollen from waking up, and it was charming.

“We should probably talk about last night,” Hyunjin whispered, sitting down next to Seungmin. He was looking down in his lap where he was fidgeting with his fingers. “Was it a joke type of thing or did it mean anything to you?”

Seungmin sucked in a deep breath, not sure where to start.

“No, I can tell you it wasn’t a joke. I’m just not too sure on what exactly I’m feeling.” Seungmin admitted, watching Hyunjin's shoulder's sag in relief.

“What do you mean by that?” Hyunjin looked up, a soft expression on his face.

“I think I like you.” Seungmin admitted, “But I don’t want to say it because things are only starting to make sense. Like, five minutes ago, is when I figured I might like you.”

Hyunjin giggled breathlessly, but a bright smile replaced his nervous aura.

“I get that, I’m still trying to make sense of it too. I guess since we only recently got used to being friends, it’s hard to figure out what’s going on.” Hyunjin said.

“Yeah, I agree. But what do we do now?” Seungmin prompted. Hyunjin glanced off in thought, taking in his surroundings.

“I mean, we could just- Go with it? Like, we can do affectionate things if we want, until we figure out what we’re feeling.” Hyunjin said. He scratched at the back of his neck, still refusing to meet Seungmin's eyes.

“I think that’d actually work.” Seungmin felt himself smile, liking the idea more with each passing second.

\- - -

Mid-terms are nearing closer day by day, and Seungmin was not having it. He was beginning to hate the material he was studying since it was mainly what was at the forefront of his mind.

But since Hyunjin and Seungmin had decided to see what happens, it’s easier to deal with.

“Min! Let’s watch a short movie so you can have a break.” Hyunjin said, shuffling into the dining area to press a quick kiss to the top of Seungmin’s head. These short and sweet actions from Hyunjin relax Seungmin more than he ever thought they could.

“Alright, Just one.” Seungmin made Hyunjin promise before he moved. The last time he had offered a movie break, they wound up falling asleep together hours later while some cheesy horror film played in the background.

They fired up an old animated film they both have seen several times. It was nice to have something else to focus on.

“It’s cold.” Hyunjin blurted out, gnawing at his bottom lip.

“Then we can turn the heat on?” Seungmin said, wondering how the hell he could be cold.

“No,” Hyunjin paused to steal a quick glance at Seungmin, “I was kinda hoping you’d move closer.” He admitted quietly. It took hardly any time for Seungmin to move over and wrap his arms around Hyunjin’s waist, resting his head on his shoulder.

“This what you wanted?” Seungmin said. He felt Hyunjin lean his head onto his own, and bring his hand up to brush through his hair.

“Exactly what I wanted.”

The two chatted over the movie about their memories of said movie. They had never been total strangers, always knowing just enough that it pissed them off with how well they knew the other.

As the film was coming to an end, Seungmin was being pressed into more from Hyunjin’s weight. Seungmin tugged away slowly, but still rousing Hyunjin awake by accident.

Seungmin started to lean in, before hesitating. They haven’t kissed since that night, and he’s not sure when they should cross that line. So he opted to press a quick kiss to Hyunjin’s cheek.

“Go on to bed, I won’t study for much longer. I promise.” Seungmin said, patting Hyunjin’s thigh gently.

“Hm, alright Minnie,” Hyunjin said, none of it sounds clear. He intended to kiss Seungmin’s cheek but got his nose instead. Seungmin watched as the tops of his ears turned red while smiling at the shy response.

This was comfortable. Seungmin thinks he could be happy with whatever they have now for a while.

\- - -

Having Minho and Jisung stare at you is incredibly uncomfortable.

Even more so when you’re trying to hide something.

“You two are close now,  _ huh _ ?” Minho said, sipping his drink and keeping his eyes fixed on the duo across from him.

The four went out for pizza to celebrate mid-terms being over, and it was already awkward. Seungmin had his hand on Hyunjin’s knee, tapping out nonsense rhythms to entertain himself. He thinks Minho can tell what he’s doing though if the left brow creeping up his forehead was anything to go by.

“I mean, we are friends now,” Hyunjin said. He did his best to ignore the empty feeling that settled in his stomach right afterward. He was immediately aware of when Seungmin’s fingers stopped tapping completely.

“That’s great!” Jisung tried to sound excited, but his tone came off bland and uninterested. He was too busy staring at Hyunjin trying to figure out what was going on.

“We should order now, right?” Seungmin tried to break the awkward tension surrounding them. He felt a wave of relief rush through him as Jisung and Minho began to flip through the small menu supplied to them.

Hyunjin slipped his hand into Seungmin’s, intertwining their fingers. Seungmin wanted to turn and see the expression that Hyunjin had on his face, but he knew it would draw their friend’s attention. He opted to give a quick squeeze to Hyunjin’s hand while he enjoyed the comfort it brought him.

Throughout the meal, they all continued to talk loudly over one another. Minho and Jisung eventually gave up on their staring games and started having fun instead.

It’s not that it left their mind, however.

“Alright. Now that really wasn’t platonic. They were plastered to each other’s sides!” Jisung shouted after shutting their dorm door. Minho fell back onto the couch while Jisung grabbed some water bottles to bring over.

“Bet they were holding hands or some cute shit. Disgusting.” Minho broke into laughter much sooner than he would’ve liked, but he found the whole situation strange. “Do you think their dating? Or are they just friendly?”

“There’s feelings. But past that, I’m not sure.”

\- - -

It’s been weeks.

They’ve fallen into a completely different normal then when they first moved in together. Instead of avoiding each other or bickering over who would wash dishes, they now are almost always touching and teasing the other over small things.

Arguments over dishes have turned into bashful brushes of their hands as they do the task together.

Letting each other overwork themselves had long turned into pulling the other away from their studies with promises of cuddles and gentle words of comfort.

It’s easy.

So that could be why Seungmin is stressed beyond belief.

Finals were right around the corner and Seungmin couldn’t stop himself from studying the material until that was all he could think of. He has embarrassingly stated geographical facts at unsuitable times during a conversation.

But Hyunjin hasn’t been anywhere in sight for a few days now. Seungmin supposes he could be out and studying in the library, or even with Jisung, but it doesn’t change the fact Seungmin misses Hyunjin.

He built up the courage to send a short text to Hyunjin, asking when he’ll be home.

When he received no response after half-an-hour it stung.

Turns out, Hyunjin ran back to the dorm right after reading Seungmin’s message.

“I’m so sorry, I didn’t realize I’ve not been here much. I’ve been helping some class-” Hyunjin rushed out after entering the dorm, cutting himself off once he saw Seungmin looking at him blankly.

“It’s okay Hyunjin. I was just worried about you.” Seungmin whispered, turning back to his work. He didn't want to tell Hyunjin that he missed him. He wasn't sure if their relationship was there yet.

“Anyway, how long have you been studying today?” Hyunjin asked. He kicked off his shoes by the door and chucked them somewhere to the side. His feet were aching from the sudden running.

“Since I woke up, whenever that was.” Hyunjin wrapped his arms around Seungmin’s waist after approaching his back. He hooked his chin over Seungmin’s shoulder to see what he was doing.

“You don’t need to study so hard, Min. You know this material.” Hyunjin said. He moved away to sit next to Seungmin at the dinner table, hoping to get the younger to talk.

“I feel unprepared.” Seungmin shut his book and leaned back, turning to face Hyunjin. “I don’t want to do poorly so my GPA stays high. If it drops then I won’t be eligible for scholarships. I don’t want to-”

Soft lips on his own silenced him before he was finished speaking. Seungmin’s eyes flutter shut as he kisses back hungrily, wanting to press closer to Hyunjin.

Hyunjin had been growing his hair out, and Seungmin couldn’t be anymore thankful for that. He slipped his fingers into his hair, tugging gently at the soft strands. Hyunjin groaned at the feeling and tugged Seungmin closer by his chair. He leaned back for a moment, finding Seungmin’s discontent adorable.

“Don’t worry so much. You’re a great student.” Hyunjin punctuated with a few brief kisses. “I would rather you be healthy than something close to a zombie.” Seungmin laughed against his lips.

“Hm, I don’t think having a zombie boyfriend would be all that nice.”

Silence. It grows as Seungmin realizes what he said.

Hyunjin quenches his worries with another kiss, this one more bruising than the first. Hyunjin's fingers on Seungmin’s thighs were digging in hard enough to leave marks, not that Seungmin minded.

“No, I’d much rather have you be my boyfriend. Not a zombie.” Hyunjin mumbled into Seungmin’s lips.

“I’d really like that.”

And if the two continued to kiss and hold each other for the rest of the evening, then who has to know?

Seungmin is somehow blissfully pleased to be boyfriends with someone he used to believe he hated. Funny how things can change over time.

\- - -

“You did what!” Jisung shouted in the quiet family-owned diner. They came for lunch since neither of them wanted to cook after taking their finals. All the other customers turned to look at the source of the noise, and Jisung quickly turned various shades of pink.

“You were saying?” Minho tried not to laugh into his drink because of the glare Jisung was sending him. “But yes, I slept with Chan.”

“I-” Jisung blinked rapidly, unsure of what to say. “Congrats?”

“Thanks, he’s got a very nice-”

“I don’t need details, I need bleach,” Jisung said, dropping his head into his hands. “Are you two finally dating or is it just a fling?”

“Honestly, I’ve got no idea. We haven’t talked about it yet, but he’s a great dude.” Minho stole a few of Jisung’s fries that were growing cold.

“A great  _ dude _ . He fucks you and then you call him a dude. What, did you do it with socks on? Did you say no homo after?” Minho couldn’t contain his laughter anymore. He enjoys the time he spends with Jisung because of moments like this. He wishes he would've been able to know Jisung before now. Minho figures it's better late than never.

“Hey. Wait.” Jisung said, looking directly behind Minho’s head. “Is that-”

Minho couldn’t be more obvious when he turned around to see Hyunjin and Seungmin enter the diner hand-in-hand. He froze. Where’s the gotcha moment?

“Are they on a fucking date? And had the nerve not to tell us!” Jisung’s voice began to grow in volume again but settled back down once their waitress came over with the bill.

“That is a date if I’ve ever seen one.”

“Damn, Changbin just orders pizza for my address and expects me to pay for it when it gets there.” Jisung pouts. He takes out his wallet to fish around for his card. It was his turn to pay anyway. His bank account was crying in silent agony as he knew he was on limited funds.

“So romantic.” Minho teased but kept his eyes on their two friends. “I wonder what went down between those two.”

“Guess we’ll have to ask then, won’t we?”

**_End_ **

**Author's Note:**

> This fest was great to participate in. Please check out the other works in this fest as well, a lot of prompts seemed amazing. Please let me know if there are some glaringly obvious errors that I didn't catch (I don't have a beta reader). Once the authors are revealed I'll link my socials in the notes as well. Thank you so much for reading!
> 
> update (9/30/2020): HEY THIS FIC WAS MY BBY FOR SO LONG. it was hard not to talk about bc I got really invested in it and had fun putting it together! so now that anon is off I'm dropping my socials in case anyone wants to see spoilers, twt aus, and random thoughts from me. 
> 
> [Writing Twitter](https://twitter.com/skzpresso)   
>  [Curious Cat](https://curiouscat.me/skzpresso)


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